silence of winter

I stepped inside the house - rubbery arms, shaky legs and a bit of sweat was the sign of a job well done. I couldn’t believe how much snow had accumulated on the back deck, but slowly, shovel by shovel, I cleared it. Carm worked on the laneway and two hours! later was done.

The storm blasted us overnight, but by the time we woke up it was all over, just the mess to clean up. Thankfully a shift in low pressure areas (or something to that effect) shortened the duration. We were lucky as Carm said it was the deepest he’d ever snow-blowed. But it is actually above freezing today so we are spared the deep freeze.

I used to love riding the horses through the new snow - they’d leap through the drifts, almost unseating me into the snowbanks.

Have you been watching the Westminster Dog Show? We’ve recorded it and have only watched the first night. It’s fun to see all the breeds, especially when there is a new one, but even with so many beautiful breeds, another Rhodesian Ridgeback will join our family someday. Someday a long time from now I hope.

Tonight we’ll watch the rest of the show and cheer our favorite on for best in show. I gotta tell you though, there are some breeds that have become abominations and it sickens me to see what has happened to them. Are people nuts? Why would you breed a dog with such a smushed in face that it can’t even breathe properly. Those breeders should go to jail, or at least be restricted from breeding.

We’ve had several purebred dogs including: Irish Wolfhound, Greyhound, Borzoi, and of course the Poodles and a Ridgeback. We’ve had three mixed breeds also: a basenji mix (maybe), a rottie mix, and Ranger, who was a heinz 57 of no identifiable parentage. We loved them all. Five of them were from the hound group - not known for their attentiveness to command. Hounds are more independent and free spirited. They all had eagle eyes and would chase something a million miles away - a fence is a must with these guys. The poodles aren’t sighthounds, but instead have their noses to the ground and ears turned off much of the time. I think they are actually part beagle. That leaves Titan the rottie mix, and Ranger - they were the only ones that would rather be with us than out in the field chasing down critters.

This brilliant silence of winter is most touching, might I not say musical? How different it is from that of a starry night in June, which in mute eloquence proclaims repose! In this is power, an appeal to thought, strangely mingled with one to active energy.

~Henry James Slack